squeevey t1_jcpr9xw wrote on March 18, 2023 at 4:46 PM

Reply to comment by 0pimo in Qualcomm Is Poised to Dominate EVs Before Apple Gets a Chance by OutlandishnessOk2452

I don't disagree that it requires some engineering. I believe it is possible though. The cabin would be the safe zone. The sled would have the battery, motor, and wheels. The battery would like be in a non-crumple zone to prevent it from taking damage. Whereas the cabin would have crumple zones and could detach more easily.

Instead of thinking of the car as a complete unibody. You would compartmentalize the passenger cabin from the drive train.

0pimo t1_jcps1g6 wrote on March 18, 2023 at 4:50 PM

Yeah pretty sure having a non-crumpling frame is how you transfer a whole lot of energy to the driver and kill people when they crash.

squeevey t1_jcptbb2 wrote on March 18, 2023 at 4:59 PM

Yep it is. However, in an EV you still have to reinforce the battery so it does NOT crumple. And the battery has most of the mass.

So it is a matter of design to create crumpling for passengers while reinforcing the sled. Hence decoupling the two. Would be great to just have to purchase a new cabin instead of a whole new drive train.

peadith t1_jcps5sy wrote on March 18, 2023 at 4:51 PM

You know what would be funny is if the Chinese came out with a simple and cheap plain old electric vehicle without all this digital bull shit and it wipes the market.